This archive report was first published on 5 July 2020.
India's monsoon season, which runs from June to September, is a time of both life-giving rain and deadly lightning strikes. This year, however, the situation is particularly dire, with at least 215 people having lost their lives in Bihar, the country's poorest state.
According to Bihar's Disaster Management Minister Lakshmeshwar Rai, rising temperatures due to climate change are the main cause behind the increasing lightning strikes. 'I was informed by weather experts, scientists and officials that rising temperatures due to climate change is the main cause behind the increasing lightning strikes,' he told AFP on July 5, 2020.
Just last year, 170 people were killed in lightning strikes during the monsoon period, but this year's toll has already surpassed that number, even though the monsoon season has just started. The Indian Meteorological Department has warned of more lightning in the next 48 hours, adding to the sense of urgency.
Experts point to large-scale instability in the atmosphere, fueled by temperature rises and excessive moisture, as the cause of the lightning and thunder. Bihar agrometeorologist Abdus Sattar explained that the situation is exacerbated by the fact that many poor farmers do not own smartphones, making it difficult for them to access mobile phone apps that can help predict possible lightning strikes.
Neighboring Uttar Pradesh has also seen a significant number of lightning-related deaths, with over 200 people having been struck and killed since April. The monsoon is crucial to replenishing water supplies in South Asia, but it also causes widespread death and destruction across the region each year.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, more than 2,300 people were killed by lightning in India in 2018, the most recent figures available. As the country continues to grapple with the impacts of climate change, it is clear that this year's lightning strikes are a stark reminder of the need for urgent action.
